HOPE Center Wraps up 2023 for the Summer Season

Dr. Reyes and Dr. Krug attend HOPE Center Meeting

Partners for HOPE Center held their final meeting of this half of the school year on Tuesday, April 18^th with Dr. Chad Krug, Re-2 School Superintendent and Dr. Rosana Reyes, President of Lamar Community College in attendance.

HOPE Director, Lori Hammer, said final attendance at the center was down to 95 students per day, on average, again attributable mostly to summer sports activities getting underway and in general, the fall-off from the impact of COVID-19.  “We’ve been working to rebuild our numbers, which on some occasions were up to and over 200 students at the center per day,” she explained.

Some summer activities are still scheduled as One Step Up students will be busy with the neighborhood garden, adjacent to the school and seed planting will be underway.  Summer field trips this year include a visit to the Garden City, KS Zoo, the inner workings of the John Martin Dam and a chance to learn some new things at Lamar Community College during a campus visit.  Bike rides continue on Fridays from the Center on North 10^th Street.

Kailey Meardon, of Valley-Wide Health Systems, informed the gathering of a special day for kids from 4pm to 6pm at the Enchanted Forest on Friday, May 5^th.  “We’ll have some activities planned for our ‘Children’s Mental Health Day Celebration’,” she said which is free to all kids and walking tacos will be served.  Contact Jackie Manly at 336-7501 for more information.

Courtney Neuhold, Director of Prowers County Youth Council, located on South Main Street in Lamar invited middle and high school students to attend a Youth Activities Expo on Monday, May 1^st.  The intent is to counter the refrain of, ‘there’s nothing to do here,’ with a display of all the activities that they can utilize.

A family bowling night at Lamar Lanes will run from 3pm to 6pm on April 30^th to promote the Community Connector Campaign which is designed to support area residents in their time of need, she said.  A ‘chalk the walk’ event will be held on Friday, May 12^th on the greenbelt adjacent to the Lamar Loop off West Oak Street.  Families are invited to put their best artworks on the sidewalks there.  Summer events such as outdoor movies are planned for Wiley, Holly and Granada as well as Lamar.

Dr. Reyes noted she is in her 8^th week at President of LCC and said she was happy to announce that summer enrollment at the college has increased by 33% over last year.  The college will participate in a new four-year teaching degree program being initiated for the fall semester in cooperation with CSU-Denver, she announced.  The college is also the recipient of a behavioral health/mental health grant of $875K which will include efforts for drug prevention.  Dr. Reyes said graduation ceremonies will be held the year on May 6^th.

By Russ Baldwin